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Dmbfaninmass
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Cécile I shouldn’t have doubted you!
Cécile Zarokian has long been my favorite perfumer though most days Stéphane Humbert Lucas puts up a good fight. This is one of a few of Cécile’s creations in my frag wardrobe where I thought I was somewhat on the fence. I liked it, but I wasn’t really wowed by it. As I’ve pondered declutterring and selling or decanting and selling, this is one that I thought I may put on the chopping block.
Today, I revisited and my immediate thought it “woah! What the hell was I thinking?” Is this the most photorealistic for conjuring up a memory in my mind by CZ? No. Does this hit my nose to the tune of it being one of CZ’s most challenging, complex, or artistic creations? No, no, and no. But…
Holy moly wow is this a pleasing scent to my nose! At first spray my nose gets hit with a pretty powerful sparkling citrus punch that is quite invigorating and pleasing. Once the fragrance moves beyond that initial punch on my skin, the notes form a sum greater than its parts. I cannot necessarily pick up on the individual notes beyond the opening. They just form what today is hitting me as just one of the most beautifully pleasing scents. The blend just creates something that on this wearing is something I want, I need, to have in my collection. I can’t identify anything else I’ve had my nose that smells similar. I really feel as though, while I’d mentioned it’s not those certain attributes many niche-heads appreciate in a niche frag - not complex, challenging, etc.. what it is to my nose is something I can’t imagine anyone catching a whiff of and not saying “wow, that smells good!” Of the 50 or so Cécile creations I’ve smelled, I think this may be one of the most “mass appealing” fragrances in her portfolio.
Over the years I’ve come to really appreciate some of the attributes of a good lot of niche offerings - the complex, the artistic, those that have a wowing photorealism. At the same time, I also still appreciate quite a few designer frags - those made for a larger mass market that maybe fall into a category of just “smelling good,” and honestly I feel as though this falls into that category. But, I can’t lie, there are days where I just want to smell good without necessity of complexity, or something that might spark a comment of “that smells… interesting.” I feel this is quite aptly named as Stairway to Haven smells quite simply… heavenly! Voted as leaning more feminine but as a burly bearded fella, I would not hesitate to wear this. I honestly don’t see if as leaning either way, feeling as though it’s right down the middle. If I smelled this walking behind another dude, I wouldn’t second guess it as a modern frag marketed for men, and if I smelled this on a woman I fancied I’d be olfactively smitten as all get up. Outstandingly heavenly and inviting! My gosh, thanking my lucky stars the pondering on declutterring and determined what would go is taking me so long cause if I got rid of this and then smelled it somewhere I would be disappointed beyond words!
Top Notes 
Aldehydes
Bergamot
Orange
Heart Notes 
Heliotrope
Orris butter
Bulgarian rose
Red berries
Base Notes 
White musk
Ambroxan
Cashmeran
Patchouli
Vanilla
Frankincense
xsuamy
RisingChaos
